Container sterilising and filling apparatus



Dec. 2, 1969 J A. PAVEY 3,481,109

CONTAINER STERILISING AND FILLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5, 1967 5Sheets-Sheet 1.

Dec. 2,1969 J. A. PAVEY 3,481,109

CQNTAINER STERILiSING AND FILLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5, 1967 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec, 2, 1969 J. A. PAVEY 3,481,109

CONTAINER STERILI SING AND FILLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5, 1967 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 2', 1969 J. A. PAVEY 3,481,109

CONTAINER STERILISING AND FILLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec.5, 1967 United States Patent 3,481,109 CONTAINER STERILISING AND FILLINGAPPARATUS John Anthony Pavey, Reading, England, assignor to NationalResearch Development Corporation, London, England, a British corporationFiled Dec. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 688,150 Claims priority, application GreatBritain, Dec. 8, 1966, 55,072/66, 55,073/66 Int. Cl. B67c 7/00 U.S. Cl.53-167 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for sterilisingand filling a container, e.g. bottle, comprising a plurality of stationseach of which includes a pedestal, a sleeve, a filling valve and abarrier member for isolating the filling valve from steam introducedinto the sleeve to sterilise the bottle. The sleeve is movable to allowthe bottle to be raised within the sleeve to engage the filling valve.The barrier member has associated with it jaws for gripping a bottleclosure device on the bottle when it arrives at the station and forholding the closure device during sterilisation and for releasing theclosure device on to the bottle neck after sterilisation and filling ofthe bottle.

This invention relates to apparatus for sterilising and filling acontainer in which the sterilising and filling is carried out at thesame station.

Apparatus for sterilising and filling a container may include afillingvalve which, when opened, delivers material from a reservoir into apreviously sterilised container. When sterilising the container, it isusually desirable to isolate the filling valve from the sterilisingmedium as, otherwise, the sterilising medium might contact and penetratethe filling valve and adulterate the material in the reservoir.

It is an object of the present invention to isolate the filling valvefor sterilising medium and from atmospheric contamination.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus forsterilising and filling a container, comprising means for sterilising acontainer at a station, a filling valve operable to fill the containerat the station from a position above the container, and a barrier membermovable in a substantially horizontal direction from one positionbetween the container and the filling valve in which it isolates thefilling valve for sterilising medium during the container sterilisingoperation and from atmospheric contamination during loading andunloading of the container to and from the station, to another positionin which it allows the container to be filled from the filling valve.

The barrier member may be associated with means for holding a containerclosure device for sterilisation by the sterilising medium during thecontainer sterilising operation. The closure device may be fed to thebarrier member along a path separate from that followed by the containerin arriving at the station. Alternatively, the closure device may becarried by the container as it arrives at the station and in this casethe closure device would be removed from the container by the meansassociated with the barrier member, before sterilisation.

3,481,109 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 "ice Embodiments of the presentinvention will now be described, by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates an elevational view of an apparatus for preheating,sterilising and filling a bottle with milk;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1,with parts removed for the sake of clarity;

FIGURE 3 illustrates a sectional view in elevation of one of thesterilising and filling stations included in the apparatus illustratedin FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IVIV in FIG. 3,illustrating parts in a first operational position;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4 but with parts inanother operational position;

FIGURE 6 illustrates an elevational view, partially in section of aportion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 there is illustrated an apparatus for preheating,sterilising and filling bottles. The apparatus is intended for fillingbottles with milk but is suitable for filling the bottles with otherliquids, such as, for example, liquid pharmaceuticals beverages or clearsoups.

The apparatus comprises a base 1 on which is mounted a rotary preheatingdevice 2 and a rotary, sterilising and filling device 3.

Bottles 4, to be preheated, sterilised and filled are fed along aconveyor 5 to a star-wheel 6, which when rotated loads bottles, incooperation with the semi-circular guide 7, in series on to the rotarypreheat device 2. The bottles 4 are placed one in each of a plurality ofpreheat stations 8, in sequence.

Each preheat station 8 includes a pedestal 9 carried on the upper end ofa vertically reciprocable shaft 9 driven in its vertical movement bymeans contained within the base 1; a sleeve 10 carried by a verticallyreciprocable shaft 10 coaxial with the shaft 9 and driven in itsvertical movement by means contained within the base 1; and a head 11.The means for driving the shafts 9, 10 may be stationary cam tracks onwhich cam followers associated with the shafts bear, or, alternativelythe shafts 9', 10' may be driven by pneumatic means.

After a bottle 4 has been placed on a pedestal 9, the pedestal 9 israised by its shaft 9' so that the mouth of the bottle is brought intoforced engagement with a seal 12 which seals the bottle. The sleeve 10is then raised, about the bottle, until its upper end cooperates with aseal 13. The sleeve 10 is also sealed at its lower end.

Steam is then introduced, through a passage 14, into the space outsidethe bottle -4 within the sleeve 10. The steam serves to heat the bottle4 so that upon subsequent sterilisation of the interior of the bottle bysteam there is little or no condensation of the sterilising steam withinthe bottle.

After the bottle has been preheated the sleeve 10 and pedestal 9 arelowered by the time the bottle arrives at a further star-wheel 15 whichcarries the bottle, in cooperation with a circular arcuate guide 16,away from the preheat device 2 to the sterilising and filling device 3.A device located above the star wheel 15, places a closure device on theneck of each bottle as it passes beneath the device 100. The closuredevice is carried forward on the bottle.

The sterilising and filling device includes a plurality of stations 17similar in certain respects to the stations 8 of the preheat device 2.

Each station 17 includes a pedestal 18 carried on the upper end of avertically reciprocable shaft 18 driven in its vertical movement bymeans disposed within the base 1; a sleeve 19 carried by a verticallyreciprocable shaft 19' coaxial with the shaft 18' and driven in itsvertical movement by means disposed within the base 1; and a head 20.The shafts 18', 19 may be driven by a stationary cam track on which earnfollowers associated with the shafts bear. Alternatively the shafts maybe driven by pneumatic means. The pedestals 18, sleeves 19 and heads 20are rotatable in unison about a vertical axis by means disposed withinthe base 1. The bottles are placed, by the starwheel 15, one on each ofthe pedestals 18 when the sleeve 19 around the pedestal 18 receiving abottle is in its lowered position. The sleeve 19 is then raised to itsuppermost position (illustrated in FIG. 3) in which the upper end of thesleeve 19 cooperates with a seal 21. The lower end of the sleeve 19slides over a seal 22 and the vertical shaft of the pedestal 18 slideswithin a seal 23.

Each head 20 includes a filling valve 24, a barrier member 25 slidablymounted therein for movement in a substantially horizontal direction,and a conduit 26 for the passage of steam and air.

The filling valve 24 is located above the plane of the barrier member 25and is generally coaxial with the pedestal 18 and sleeve 19. The fillingvalve 24 includes a vertical steam 27 connected to an upper housing part28 of the head. The stem 27 has a frusto-conical face 29 at its lowerend which engages a valve seat 30.

The stem 27 is mounted in a vertical passage 31 which is formed in partin the upper housing part 28, in part by a bellows 32, and in part by avalve sleeve 33. The valve seat is formed on the lower extremity of thevalve sleeve 33 and the arrangement of valve seat 30 and the stem face29 is such that upon upwards movement of the valve sleeve 33 the lowerend of the passage 31 is opened for fiow of liquid between the valveseat 30 and face 29. The passage 31 is open at its upper end to theinterior of a sterile reservoir 34 which rotates with the heads 20.

A spring 35 located coaxially with the stem 27 within the bellows 32acts between the upper housing part 28 and the valve sleeve 33 to urgethe sleeve 33 downwards into sealing engagement with the valve face 30of the valve stem 27.

The sleeve 33 slides within a sealing ring 36. A further sealing ring 37is positioned below the valve sleeve 33 and rests on a ledge 38.

Disposed on the underside of the barrier member 25 are two jaws 50, 51of a container closure gripping device. The jaws 50, 51 are pivotallyconnected to the barrier member 25 at pivots 52, 53 respectively. Eachjaw 50, 51 has an arcuate inner profile in plan (see FIGS. 4 and 5), asindicated at 54, so shaped that a container closure device, for example,a bottle cap 55, can be held between them.

The ends of the jaws 50, 51 remote from the pivots 52, 53 are pivotallyconnected at 56 to links 57, 58 and the links 57, 58 are connectedthrough a common pivot 59 to a connecting rod 40.

A tension spring 60 biases the jaws 50, 51 towards one another.

The connecting rod 40 extends towards the axis of rotation of thesterilising and filling device 3, through seals 110 carried by the head.The seals 110 serve to isolate the space within the head and sleeve fromthe atmosphere whilst allowing movement of the rod 40 into and out ofthis space. The end of the rod 40 nearer the axis of rotation isconnected by a vertical connecting link 41 to an upper rod 42 which islocated above and parallel to the rod 40. The upper rod 42 carries a camfollower in the form of two rollers 43, 44 extending into a radiallyextending slot 45 in the head and a roller 46 projecting into a camtrack 47 in the underside of a member 48 which is stationary and doesnot rotate with the heads 20. The rollers 43, 44 and slot 45 constrainthe upper rod 42 for movement in a radial direction and the cam track 47and roller 46 serve to move the upper rod 42, link 41 and rod 40 to andfro along the radius-in accordance with the predetermined form of thecam track 47, as the head rotates relative to the member 48. The camtrack 47 is continuous and varies, along its length, in radial distancefrom the axis of rotation, whereby the barrier member 25 may be in theposition illustrated in FIG. 3 or in a position in which it extendsbeneath the filling valve and the jaws 50, 51 may be closed or open whenthe barrier member is in its position beneath the filling valve.

As the rod 40 is moved radially outwards from its position illustratedin FIG. 4 the barrier member 25 is moved in unison with the rod 40through the links 57, 58, jaws 50, 51 and pivots 59, 56, 52, 53. Thebarrier member 25 is guided in such sliding movement by guides formed inthe head. When the barrier member 25 is located beneath the fillingvalve the radially outer end of the barrier member 25 engages a stop 62which prevents further radially outwards movement of the barrier member25. Further radially outwards movement of the rod causes the jaws 50, 51to be opened in opposition to the spring 60. An annular seal 49 formedof a material which is not detrimentally affected by the elevatedtemperatures to be encountered or by sliding movement of the barriermember 25 over it is retained in the head coaxially with the fillingvalve and has a start which extends downwardly so as to engage the uppersurface of the barrier member 25 when the latter is disposed beneath thefilling valve.

The passage 26 extends from a space 65 beneath the path of the barriermember 25 to a head member 66 which engages and rotates, in unison withthe heads 20, relative to the face of a lateral projection 67 from thenon-rotating central portion of the apparatus. The lateral projection 67has formed in it passages (not shown) leading to parts (not shown) inthe face thereof engaging the opposed face of the member "66. Steam issupplied to one of the passages and vacuum is applied to the other ofthe passages in the lateral projection 67. The head member- 66 andlateral projection 67 function as a rotary valve controlling applicationof steam and vacuum to the passage 26 at appropriately timed intervals.

The vacuum may be created by any convenient means such as, for example,a vacuum pump or a steam ejector.

As mentioned above, the reservoir 34 rotates with the heads 20. Since itis necessary that the liquid, for example milk, to be placed in thecontainers should be maintained in a sterile condition, the liquid mustbe supplied to the reservoir along a path isolated from the atmosphere.It is therefore necessary to provide a connection between a non-rotatingreservoir and the rotating reservoir 34. FIG- URE 6 illustrates such acoupling which is disposed within the casing 70 illustrated in FIG. 1.

The upper extremity of the reservoir 34 is provided with a neck 71 towhich is affixed an annular collar 72, the upper surface of which iscoplanar with the upper extremity of the neck 71. The collar has acircumferential groove 73.

At end portion 74 of a supply conduit is disposed with its axis alignedwith that of the neck 71 and has secured to its end a flange 75. Theflange 75 has a skirt 76 which extends downwardly as a sliding fitaround the periphery of the collar 72 above the groove 73.

The skirt 76 has formed in it four apertures 77 uniformly disposed aboutthe common axis of the neck 71 and conduit end portion 74 and the axisof the apertures 77 are parallel to the aforesaid common axis.

Four fluid pressure-operated piston-cylinder devices 78 are provided,the cylinder parts 79 of which are mounted on the flange 75 byscrew-threaded engagement in the apertures 77. Lock nuts 80 areprovided. The piston parts of the devices 78 have rods 81 which projectfrom flie cylinder parts 79 through the respective apertures 77. A splitring 82, located in the groove 73 in the collar 72 has four apertures 83therein thruogh each of which one of the piston rods 81 extends. Eachpiston rod 81 is secured to the split ring 82 by two nuts 84, 85.

The flange 75 has a radial face 86 engageable in a sealing manner with acorresponding face 87 on the collar 72. One of the faces 86, 87 hasbonded to it a disc of Ulon to prevent metal to metal contact of the twofaces.

When the four piston cylinder devices 78 are operated in a contracting;manner, the faces 15, 16 are biased into forced surface 86 to surface 87engagement and leakage of liquid between the faces 86, 87 from theconduit end 74 is prevent but rotation of the reservoir 34 and neck 71and collar 72 relative to the conduit end 74 and flange 75 is possible.During this relative rotational movement the surface 87 slides over thesurface 86 and surfaces of the groove 73 slide over surfaces of thesplit ring 82.

To clean the coupling, the piston cylinder devices 78 are operated in-anextending manner which causes the faces 86, 87 to move apart bya smalldistance as indicated bythe lines A and B. Cleaning fluid can then bepassed through the coupling so as toleak from the conduit end 74radially outwardly between the faces 8'6, 87 thereby cleaning them. Inorder to allow fluid to escape from the radially outer periphery of thefaces 86, 87, the radially inner cylindrical surface of the skirt 76 isprovided with grooves (not shown). Sterilisation of the coupling can beeffected in a similar manner.

The seal between the conduit end 74 and the neck 71 is re -created byoperating the piston-cylinder units in a contracting'manner. Inoperation of the apparatus, a series'of bottles 4 are supplied along-theconveyor 5 and, in single succession, are engaged by the star-wheel 6and carried round thereby, guided by the guide 7 and placed one on eachof the pedestals 9.'After passing away from the star-wheel 5, the sleeve10 associated with the pedestal 9 on which a bottle 4 has just beenplaced, is raised so that its upper end engages the seal 13. As thepreheating device 2 continues to rotate, the-pedestal9 is raised so thatthe neck of the bottle 4 engages the seal 12 and the interior of thebottle 4 is isolated from-the now enclosed interior of the sleeve 10.After the isolation of the interior of the bottle, steam isintroducedinto the enclosed interior of the sleeve 10 through thepassagei14. No steam enters the isolated interior of the bottle 4.It isarranged that the rate of rotation of the pie-heat device is such thatbefore the bottle has to leave the pre-heat device 2, the bottle 4 issufficiently heated that upon subsequent introduction of steam into thebottle there is substantially no condensa- 'tion within the bottle.

As the individual bottles 4 approach the star-wheel 15, each sleeve' 10is lowered, after venting of the steam. The pedestal 9 is then loweredand the bottle 4 is then engaged by the star-wheel 15 and ismoved,'whilst guided by the guide 16, towards the sterilising andfilling device 3. Whilst being moved by the star wheel 15, a bottle 4has placed on its neck a cap 55fromj the cap feed device 100.

The bottle 4 with a cap 55 thereon is placed by the stanwheel 15 on oneof the pedestals 18 of the rotating sterilising and filling device 3. Asthe station 17 with the newly preheated bottle 4 thereon moves away fromthe star-wheellS, the sleeve 19 is raised so that its upper end engagesthe seal-=21. The pedestal 18 is then raised. The barrier member is, atthis time disposed beneath the fillingvalveand it is in this position atall times when the sleeve 19 is lowered away from the seal 21, so thatthe underside of the filling valve is isolated from the atmosphere bythe engagement of the barrier member 25 with the seal 49.

fIhe pedestal 18 is raised until the cap 55 on the bottle engages theunderside of the barrier member 25. The jaws 50, 51 are at this time,open because the rod 40 has been moved fully radially outwards under thecontrol of the cam track 47. When the cap 55 has been brought up to theunderside of the barrier member 25 the connecting rod 40 moves radiallyinwards, under the control of the cam track 47, through a small distanceto allow the jaws 50, 51 to close on and grip the cap 55 withoutradially inwards movement of the barrier member 25.

The pedestal 18 with the bottle thereon is then lowered and the capstays behind in the jaws 50, 51. At this stage in the rotation of thehead 20 and hence of the member 66 relative to the lateral projection67, the passage 26 has applied to it a vacuum. Since the passage 26 isin open communication through the space 65 with the interior of thesleeve, which includes the interior of the bottle because the interiorof the bottle is not isolated. The interior of the sleeve is partiallyevacuated. Continued rotation of the head 20 moves the passage in themember 66 past the vacuum port in the lateral projection 67 to the steamport in the lateral projection 67.

In passing between the two ports the partial vacuum within the sleeve 19is maintained. Steam is introduced into the interior of the sleeve 19and bottle 4. Because of the partial vacuum, steam is able to contactand sterilise all parts of the interior and neck of the bottle and ofthe cap 55 without the masking effect which the presence of air atatmospheric pressure would otherwise create. The bottle and cap arethereby sterilised and because the bottle 4 is preheated there issubstantially no condensation of the sterilising steam within the bottle4.

The sterilising steam is prevented from reaching the underside of thefilling valve by the cooperation of the seal 49 with the barrier member25.

If the seal 49 should fail when the interior of the sleeve 19 ispartially evacuated, the seal 26 would prevent inflow of atmosphericair. If the seal 49 should fail when the interior of the sleeve containssterilising steam, the seal 49, being of the U-sectional formillustrated, allows escape to the atmosphere of pressure steam in thecavity above the barrier member, so that a build up of steam pressure onthe underside of the filling valve is prevented. Thus, even if the seal49 should fail, contamination and adulteration of the'liquid to beintroduced into the bottle 4 is prevented.

The steam supply through the passage 26 is subsequently cut off and thepassage 26 is vented through the lateral projection 67.

The connecting rod 40 is then moved radially inwards, under the controlof the cam track 47, and, because movement of the jaws 50, 51 towardsone another is prevented by the presence of the cap 55 between the jaws,the barrier member 25 is moved radially inwards to its positionillustrated in FIG. 4. v

The pedestal 18 is then raised to a position in which the neck of thebottle 4 not only engages the seal 37 but lifts it upwardly intoengagement with the sleeve 33 and moves the sleeve 33 upwardly, againstthe spring 35, so that the valve seat surface 30 moves away from thestern surface 29 so that liquid in the valve sleeve 33 and bellows 32flows downwardly into the bottle. Liquid flowing out of the sleeve 33and bellows 32 is, of course, replenished by flow of liquid out of thereservoir 34 which in turn is replenished by flow from a furtherreservoir through the conduit end 74 and neck 71.

The pedestal is then lowered and the spring 35 causes the valve sleeve33 and seal 37 to follow the neck downwardly whilst maintaining a sealwith the neck of the bottle thereby preventing spillage of liquid to theexterior of the bottle. Y I

Downwards movement of the valve sleeve 33 is terminated by engagement ofthe valve seat surface 30 with the stem surface 29 which also preventsfurther downwards flow of liquid. It will be realised that because thestem 27 extends beneath the stem surface 29 into the neck of the bottle4, the volume of liquid in the bottle is slightly less than the volumeof the bottle.

The pedestal 18 is lowered further until the upper end of the neck ofthe bottle is out of the path of the barrier member 25 and cap 55. Thebarrier member 25, with the cap 55 still gripped in the jaws 50, 51, ismoved radially outwards to a position in which the barrier member 25 isbeneath the filling valve and contacts the stop 62. The pedestal 18 isthen raised. It will be realised that the space within the neck abovethe liquid in the bottle now contains residual steam and a littleresidual, sterilised air, assuming that the vacuum previously createdwas not a total vacuum. The neck of the bottle is brought up into forcedengagement with the cap by further upwards movement of the pedestal 18.The connecting rod 40 is then moved further radially outwards so thatthe jaws 50, 51 move apart and release their grip on the cap 55, thebarrier member 25 being in engagement with the stop 62 at this time.

The residual steam in the space beneath the cap 55, and within thebottle is condensing and hence the cap 55 is held on the bottle by apartial vacuum. The pedestal 18 and sleeve 19 are then lowered, beforearrival of the station 20 at the star-wheel 101 which moves the bottle4, under the guidance of the guide 102, back on to the conveyor to astation (not shown) at which the cap is crimped on to the neck of thebottle. The crimping station need not be provided if other means areprovided for securing the cap to the bottle.

Thus, at the same station, the bottle and cap are sterilised, the bottleis filled with liquid and the bottle is capped, all these operationsoccurring in a sterile atmosphere.

Whilst it has been stated above in relation to the specific embodimentsthat bottles are the containers to be sterilised and filled, it is to beunderstood that the containers may be of other form, such as, forexample, cans.

It is also to be understood that the terms filling, filled or the like,are not to be construed as meaning that the container is to containliquid or other material of a volume equivalent to the volume of thecontainer. Rather, the terms are to be construed as meaning theintroduction into the container of material having a volume which may beless than that of the container, in which case the container is not,literally speaking, filled.

Whilst the material to be introduced into the containers is describedabove as liquid, and in particular milk, the invention may be embodiedin apparatus for sterilising and filling a container with materialsother than liquids. Such other materials may, for example, be solids,for example, solids in powder, particulate or granular form. Whilst theinvention has been described in embodiments which are continuouslyoperating and rotary acting, it is to be understood that the inventionmay be embodied in other arrangements.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for sterilising and filling a container comprising:

a station;

means adapted to sterilise a container at the station;

a filling valve adapted to fill the container at the station; and

a barrier member adapted to be moved in a substantially horizontaldirection from a first position between the container and the fillingvalve in which it isolates the filling valve from the sterilising mediumduring the container sterilising operation and from atmosphericcontamination during loading and unloading of the container to and fromthe station, to a second position in which it allows the container to befilled from the filling valve.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said station includes:

a pedestal adapted 'to support a container to be sterilised and filled;

a sleeve adapted to be moved between positions in one of which it allowsloading and unloading of a container on and off the pedestal and inanother of which it serves in part to isolate the container from theatmosphere; and

means adapted to introduce sterilising medium into the space Within thesleeve.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including:

means adapted to evacuate the space within the sleeve prior tointroduction of the sterilising medium.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including:

means adapted to vent the sterilising medium from the space within thesleeve after sterilisation of the container; and

means adapted to move the barrier member into its said second positionafter venting of the sterilising medium, and to move the barrier memberinto its first position prior to unloading of the container.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including:

means adapted to hold a container closure device;

said closure device holding means being associated with said barriermember.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said closure device holding means is adapted to grip and hold acontainer closure device disposed on a container upon arrival at saidstation and subsequently to release the container closure device on tothe container.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said closure device holdingmeans includes:

two members each adapted to engage a portion of the periphery of aclosure device; and

means adapted to move the two members apart to release the closuredevice.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said station includes:

a pedestal adapted to support a container to be sterilised and filled;

a sleeve adapted to be moved between positions in one of which it allowsloading and unloading of a container on and off the pedestal and inanother of which it serves, in part, to isolate the container from theatmosphere; and

means adapted to introduce sterilising medium into the space within thesleeve.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, including:

means adapted to evacuate the space within the sleeve prior tointroduction of the sterilising medium.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, including:

means adapted to vent the sterilising medium from the space within thesleeve after sterilisation of the container; and

means adapted to move the barrier member into its said second positionafter venting of the sterilising medium, and to move the barrier memberinto its first position prior to unloading of the container.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said station constitutes one of a plurality of similar stations disposedabout and rotatable in unison about a vertical axis.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for moving eachbarrier member includes:

a stationary cam track; and

cam follower means engaging the cam track and connected to the barriermember.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

said cam follower means is connected to the said two closure deviceengaging members;

said two closure device engaging members are pivotally connected to saidbarrier member;

the arrangement being such that initial movement in one direction ofsaid cam follower means causes movement of the barrier member to itsfirst position and that further movement in the said one direction ofthe cam follower means causes the two closure device engaging members torelease a container closure device. w

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including:

a pre-heat station;

means adapted to load containers in series on said preheat station;

means adapted to unload containers from said pre-heat station and toload pre-heated containers in series on said sterilising and fillingstation;

means adapted to place a container closure device on 10 each containeras it is moved from the pre-heat station to the sterilising and fillingstation; and

means adapted to unload filled containers from the sterilising andfilling station.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, including:

10 means adapted to secure a container closure device to the containerafter the container with the closure device thereon is unloaded from thesterilising and filling station.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1962 Palma 53167 7/1968 Burtonet al. 141-85 X TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner

